Crews complete critical highway interchange project in Leduc

Key Takeaways:

• $122M QEII–65 Ave Leduc interchange finished on time and on budget, improving access to Edmonton International Airport, adding emergency access to the STARS base, and supporting about 660 jobs amid 3.75% regional population growth.
• Expected efficiency gains include 1.8M hours saved annually for airport-bound commercial traffic and 6.8M hours for north/south movements on QEII/Highway 2A, with an estimated $211.1M in yearly freight cost savings and reduced congestion.
• Scope delivers a new overpass, new southbound ramps and reworked northbound ramps, intersection upgrades, completion of Perimeter Road and 65 Ave west of QEII, two roundabouts, three signals, 7 km of multi-use paths and 23 lane-km of new roadway on a corridor used by ~9,000 trucks daily.

The Whole Story:

A $122-million interchange at the QEII highway and 65 Avenue in Leduc is now complete, connecting one of Alberta’s busiest stretches of highway with Edmonton International Airport and improving a vital trade corridor.

The project, funded by Alberta’s government and the City of Leduc, provides safer and more efficient connections between Leduc, the airport, key cargo hubs and local businesses. The new overpass also offers an alternative emergency access route to the Alberta Health Services STARS Medivac Base if Airport Road becomes inaccessible.

The Leduc region is growing faster than many other parts of Alberta, with population growth of 3.75 per cent year-over-year as of early 2025. The interchange is expected to support continued economic activity and job creation in the province.

“This section of the QEII is one of Alberta’s most important trade corridors and a key connector to the Edmonton International Airport. The completion of this new interchange marks a major step forward in improving safety, reducing congestion, and supporting the efficient movement of goods and people,” Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, said in a news release.

Almost 9,000 trucks travel this stretch of the QEII daily. The project is anticipated to save approximately 1.8 million hours annually for commercial traffic travelling to and from the airport, along with 6.8 million hours annually for northbound and southbound commercial vehicles on the QEII and Highway 2A. These efficiencies are projected to result in an estimated $211.1 million in annual commercial truck freight cost savings.

The interchange includes a new overpass over the QEII highway adjacent to the existing 50 Street bridge, new southbound on/off ramps from the QEII and 65 Avenue, and relocation and improvements to existing northbound ramps. The project also features intersection improvements at 65 Avenue and 50 Street, completion of Perimeter Road and 65 Avenue west of the QEII, two roundabouts, three new or modified traffic signals, seven kilometres of multi-use pathways and 23 lane-kilometres of new roadway.

“The 65 Avenue and QEII Interchange is a key connection serving our residents, businesses and visitors for generations to come,” Lars Hansen, mayor of the City of Leduc, said in a news release. “The interchange strengthens our region’s connectivity and mobility in Leduc, in Alberta, and by extension, the world.”

Construction on the project was completed on time and on budget and is estimated to have supported more than 660 jobs.